Odds Are
by JenRar
Summary: When Ranger loses a bet against Lester, the consequences may end up being a reward...but that doesn't mean he won't get even. Babe fic, of course! Rated M for the things Ranger & Steph can't help but get up to...
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: JE owns them. I do not._

~oooOOOooo~

**Odds Are**

~oOo~

**Chapter 1  
Ranger's POV**

I kept my face blank as I picked up my hand to find three aces. I'd been winning for most of the night, and it looked like this last hand was going to be just one more to add to my tally.

"How about we finish this night with a bang?" Santos asked gleefully, unable to keep the grin from his face. "Let's make it interesting."

We'd been playing for bragging rights most of the night, in deference to Binkie, who had previously struggled with a gambling problem, but he'd already gone to bed, as he had the early shift the next morning. Once he'd left, Tank had pulled out the poker chips and the rest of the group and I had begun playing for more than just the right to say we'd won. Whoever had the most chips at the end of the night was going to get their next night of drinks free when they went out together. One by one, the others had lost all their chips, leaving Lester and me to battle it out.

Raising an eyebrow in question, I stayed quiet, waiting for my cousin to explain.

"Winner gets one favor, no questions asked, with no backing out." Lester looked smug.

I nodded slowly, not able to come up with any reason not to agree. "Rules?"

We'd done this so many times before, I didn't really need clarification, but Tank, Hal, Bobby, Zero, and Manny were all sitting around the table, looking curious.

"Nothing that'll end up with either of us in jail," Lester answered, the grin on his face letting me know he was remembering a time a few years back when he'd gotten picked up for hooking after I had bet him to dress up as a woman and walk down Stark Street.

"Nothing that involves Stephanie," I said firmly, my tone brooking no arguments. I didn't want Stephanie dragged into any mess Santos pulled.

"Done."

I nodded once, watching and waiting as Tank dealt out the last cards. The two of diamonds didn't add to my hand any, but I wasn't worried.

"You first," Lester said, motioning with his hand for me to go ahead.

As I spread out my cards face up on the table—the two of diamonds, six of spades, and jacks of hearts, clubs, and diamonds—I finally let the smirk I'd been holding back come out. "Three of a kind."

Lester was quiet, his face frozen, and I began doing a victory lap in my head. But just when I was about to speak up and tell Lester I'd get back to him on what favor I wanted, my cousin grinned.

When he laid down the cards, I slammed my blank face down so I didn't give him the satisfaction of seeing my shock.

Three fours and two sevens.

Lester had a full house.

_I'd lost._

~oOo~

My blank face was firmly in place and I was in my zone as I sped down the interstate toward New York City. My hands gripped the steering wheel so tight, my knuckles were white. Stephanie could tell I had a lot on his mind and was using the time to play Angry Birds on her phone, rather than trying to force me to talk, which I appreciated greatly. It was because of that fact that my mind drifted back to the week before, when Santos had finally told me how I had to pay off my debt.

"_You want me to what?" I roared, my feet thudding from my desk to the floor as Lester smirked._

"_I'm supposed to do this photo shoot thing," Lester said again. "Mari roped me into it a few months ago, when you were gone on your last mission." He shook his head. "You know how your sister is. She was relentless. 'Oh, Les, it's for charity! You can't say no!'"_

_Lester's fake girl voice sounded almost dead on for my sister, and I couldn't help but chuckle...before my amusement died away._

"_I'm not getting naked," I said emphatically with a shake of my head. "I don't care what kind of charity it is. I'll donate the damn money if I have to."_

"_Nah, cuz, I wouldn't make you do that." He grinned. "If I had to get naked to do it, I wouldn't give away my spot. There are gonna be women there. Models." His eyes glazed over, and he grinned before focusing back on me. "Anyway, a bet's a bet. Next Saturday, 0900." He flipped a business card in my direction. "That's the address. Don't be late."_

_He strolled out of the office, whistling, as I scowled at his back._

And I was still scowling. I knew I was being an ass about it, but I couldn't help it. I'd gotten over flaunting my looks years ago, and even though it was fun to see Stephanie get flustered when she looked at me, I didn't like feeling like a piece of meat.

"You'll be fine," Steph said quietly beside me. "You can pretend you're posing for me," she teased.

"Babe," I murmured, finally glancing over at her. "Anytime you want me to pose for you, just let me know."

Stephanie was single and had been for a few months. We'd begun seeing one another shortly after I got back from my last mission—the last one of my contract, thank God—but we were taking it slow. As much as I wanted her under me—and over me, and every which way in between—I wanted her to know she meant more than just a quick lay. That didn't stop me from teasing her and driving her to the brink of her control, though.

I watched as her cheeks went pink with her blush and knew if I reached up, they would be warm with embarrassment. But then, like the Stephanie Plum I knew and loved, she straightened her backbone, batted her eyelashes, and said breathily, "Too bad we have someplace to be, or I'd have you turn the car around now, Carlos."

It took all my control for me to not do exactly that. I felt my dick grow hard behind my zipper, and I practiced deep breathing as I willed the erection away, knowing there was no way in hell I wanted to get there and be hard.

"Babe," I groaned, shaking my head. "You're killing me here."

Stephanie just laughed and went back to her phone, leaving me to my peaceful quiet once more.

~oOo~

After another twenty minutes had gone by, I realized Stephanie's patience had nearly run out. She'd begun to fidget in her seat, her knee bouncing as she picked at the chipping polish on one of her fingernails.

"Babe..." I reached over and put my hand over hers, lowering them to her thigh to stop both actions.

"I'm bored," she huffed, making me chuckle.

"I wondered how long it would take."

Instead of getting upset, Stephanie just shrugged and grinned. "Hey, I let you have almost forty-five minutes in your 'zone' before the quiet got to be too much." She actually pried her hands out from under mine to make finger quotes around the word _zone_ before tucking her left hand back under my right on her thigh. "So as my reward...talk to me."

The corner of my mouth quirked up as I smirked. "What do you want to talk about?" I asked, glancing over at her before turning my attention back to the road in front of us.

"Tell me more about the photo shoot," she requested. "You told me it was for charity, but that's all."

I shook my head, frowning. "I don't know much, honestly. I know it's a charity thing for military spouses. Some hometown heroes or something."

Stephanie gaped at me. "Will you be nude? Lester didn't tell me that!"

"No!" I growled, clearing my throat before mumbling a much quieter, "Sorry. No, Santos said if it had been nude, he'd have kept it for himself since there will be models there."

"Oh."

Steph's whispered word had me looking over curiously, wondering what had caused the drastic change in demeanor. She was looking out the window, and I could see her reflection in the glass as she chewed on her lower lip.

It hit me immediately what had upset her. "Babe," I said softly, squeezing her hand gently to get her attention. "You have nothing to worry about, querida, but if it makes you too uncomfortable, I'll turn the car around now and send someone else. To hell with the bet."

Steph turned to look at me, her eyes wide. "You'd do that? Just because I'm jealous and stupid?"

I started to reply, but when I saw a sign for an exit just ahead, I kept my mouth shut, turned on the blinker, and exited to the right, ignoring Stephanie's sputtered questions as to what I was doing.

Once I'd parked in a spot in the parking lot of a BP gas station, I turned to look at Stephanie, who was still wide-eyed and open-mouthed as she turned to face me as best she could while still encumbered by the seat belt across her chest and hips. I slid my hand up her arm, tangling my fingers in the curls at the base of her neck, and tugged her so she was leaning toward me.

"Stephanie," I said, my voice serious as my breath ghosted over her lips, "you should know by now that I would damn well do anything to make you happy. It won't matter if there are no other women there or a hundred. The only woman who will have my focus is you. If going back home makes you happy, I'll do it. Just say the word."

I tightened my fingers ever so slightly as Stephanie closed the remaining distance, gently pressing her lips to mine. The kiss was brief, tender, just a touch of our lips and nothing more, before she pulled away. She reached her hand up to cup my face, her thumb brushing the stubble of my unshaven cheek.

Pressing my forehead to hers, I massaged her neck gently when she closed her eyes and took a deep, slow breath.

"Drive," she huffed, finally pulling away and grinning at me. "But I'm telling you now, if one of them looks at you like you're their next meal, Imma cut a bitch."

Letting out a loud bark of laughter, I shook my head. "You've been hanging out with Lula too much."

Stephanie nodded, grinning, and turned back to face the front of the Cayenne.

Without another word, I settled back in my seat and drove out of the parking lot, finding the entrance to the interstate to continue the drive into the city.


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer still applies._

~oooOOOooo~

**Chapter 2  
Stephanie's POV**

I moved from Angry Birds to feeding my fish in Tap Fish as Ranger followed the directions read out by the GPS. When I got bored, I asked, "Why isn't Les doing this, by the way? It seems like it would be right up his alley...models and all that."

The corner of Ranger's lips quirked up in a grin. "Oh, the models part, I'm sure. But one thing you might not know about Santos is that he's camera shy—especially when he's expected to pose for something like this. He doesn't like candid shots, but if he can ignore the photographer, he's fine. And of course, he had to pose for things like his driver's license, military ID, school photos, and things of that nature. So combine that with the fact that he knew I would hate it as much or more than he would... I think it was too much to resist."

I laughed, wondering how I would use my newfound knowledge to my advantage.

We continued chatting, going from one topic to another easily, until he pulled up in front of a nondescript red brick building about thirty minutes after we hit the edge of the city. The only thing indicating that we were in the right place was the sign with the name from the card he had shown me.

"This is it," Ranger said as he pulled in and grabbed the last remaining empty spot in the packed lot.

I was quiet as he opened my door, and when I took his hand for him to help me out of the car, he pulled me to him, tucking me into his arms.

Kissing me softly, he said, "Remember, Babe, you're the only one I'm interested in looking at in there."

When I'd nodded, we turned and began walking around to the front of the building to the front door.

Ranger held the door for me and then followed me inside. What I'd been expecting, I didn't really know, but what I saw when the door closed behind us certainly wasn't it.

The whole place was one big room, with a few curtained off areas by the windows, which had been blacked out somehow. On one end of the room was a huge set up, with backdrop, several big lights—off at the moment—and a table full of items I couldn't make out. People were everywhere. There were approximately twenty models—both male and female—scattered throughout the room, along with a handful of support personnel—everyone from lighting, makeup, clothes, and a few just hanging out as they waited.

There were a couple of director's chairs set up behind the camera on the tripod in the middle of the chaos. A man with a camera on a strap around his neck—I assumed he was the photographer—was flipping through some pages at the table, running a hand through his blond, shoulder-length hair, and there was a woman with short, pink-tipped spiky hair sitting in one of the chairs, looking through a magazine.

When the door clicked, it echoed in the large room, and the man looked up, grinning. "You must be Carlos."

I felt Ranger tense and gently squeezed his hand in support. He looked down at me gratefully before looking back up at the man moving across the floor.

Nodding once, he said, "Carlos Manoso."

The man's grin widened. "Jason Deeks. You're early. Brooke won't be here for another fifteen minutes."

"Brooke won't be here at all," a slightly overweight, frumpy-looking woman huffed as she came barreling into the room, clutching a clipboard in one hand and a cell phone in the other.

Deeks mumbled, "Sandra Wright, production coordinator," in way of introduction, before turning back to her. "What do you mean at all?"

"She's sick—like throwing up, head in the toilet, green to the gills sick," Wright explained. "Her roommate just called to let us know."

"Well, that's just great," Deeks hissed. "What the hell am I supposed to do now?"

"You could use one of them," the girl with the pink-tipped hair said, sounding bored as she pointed toward the models on the other side of the room.

"No," Wright said firmly, shaking her head. "They were specific about wanting each person only in the calendar once."

Deeks gripped his hair, tugging once, before turning back to face us, a grin forming on his face as he looked at me. "You're just here for moral support, right?"

I nodded slowly.

"How would you like to fill in? You've got a great look. That hair would look great on camera, and your body..."

His eyes roamed up and down my body, making me blush and feel slightly uncomfortable under the scrutiny until I felt Ranger's arm tighten around me.

"I don't know..." I hedged. I wasn't sure how I felt about getting mostly naked in front of all these people. I looked up at Ranger, begging him silently to help me figure out what I should do.

"Babe, it's up to you," he said, raising an eyebrow. "I can't make this decision for you."

Pulling my lower lip between my teeth, I weighed my options for a moment. I knew I didn't look like the other women set to pose for the camera. I was more curvy—I actually had hips and breasts. Then again... If I posed with Ranger, none of those perfect, skinny, beautiful women would be able to.

"Stephanie, look at me," Ranger growled softly. When I looked up at him, I saw his eyes flash with anger before they softened and he pulled me into his arms. "I know where your mind just went. I love your curves. You are a beautiful, sensual, extraordinary woman, and there is not one damn thing I would change. Do you want my opinion?"

I nodded silently, worrying my lip with my teeth.

Reaching up to tug the abused flesh free, Ranger then brushed the backs of his fingers lightly down my cheek. "There's no one else in the world I'd rather do this with than you."

With Ranger's support surrounding me, I steeled my resolve, straightened my shoulders, and turned back to the photographer. "Let's do this," I said, trying to sound as confident as Ranger made me feel.

The photographer—Deeks—grinned. "Excellent." Looking back over his shoulder to the young woman with the pink hair, he said, "Eve, set them up with Jamey. He'll get them dressed so you can do their hair. Down for both, loose curls, natural for—" he turned back to me, raising an eyebrow "—Stephanie?" At my nod, he called back to Eve, "Stephanie."

Eve sighed and tossed her magazine onto her seat after she stood, wiping her hands on her jeans. "Come with me," she said, gesturing to Ranger and me.

I felt Ranger's hand on my lower back as he pressed me to move forward. Slowly, I walked toward Eve, following the younger woman across the room to the curtained off areas.

After introducing us to the vibrant, excitable young man named Jamey, she left us and made her way to the chairs set up for makeup and hair.

"All right!" Jamey said, looking at us appraisingly.

I didn't feel quite as uncomfortable with him, since Jamey was spending more time admiring Ranger, who was clearly not enjoying the attention.

"I have just the thing," he continued. "Carlos, if you'll step over there, and Stephanie, you're in here." He gestured to the curtained-off dressing room just to our left. "Go ahead and get undressed—you can slip on a provided robe if you'd be more comfortable—and I'll be right in with your outfits."

When Ranger's arms slipped around me, pulling me close, I sighed and relaxed.

"You'll be okay?" he asked quietly, kissing the spot under my ear tenderly.

Nodding, I murmured my assent. Ranger squeezed me gently before turning and making his way to his "dressing room." I watched him go before slipping through the curtain of my own.

I quickly stripped out of my clothes, leaving my underwear on until last minute, and pulled the robe on so I was covered. It felt odd, undressing with strangers just outside the curtain, but I'd agreed to this, so I was going to man up, so to speak, and do it.

"Knock knock," Jamey's effeminate voice called out.

"Come in," I said, moving away from the edge of the curtain so Jamey could step in.

"I brought two outfits for you to choose from. The theme for the calendar is heroes. This is the sexy fireman look." He held out one outfit, letting me take the skimpy pieces of fabric.

"It's hot," I agreed, grinning as I imagined Ranger's face when he saw me in the tight, red and yellow Lycra shorts and shirt that would barely cover my breasts.

Taking the first outfit back, he held out the second outfit.

My grin grew and I was nodding even before he'd said anything. "That one," I said immediately.

Ranger wouldn't know what had hit him.


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer still applies._

~oooOOOooo~

**Chapter 3  
Ranger's POV**

I didn't bother looking at the underwear the guy handed me until after I'd put it on. When I looked down and saw the Batman name on the waistband and the bat symbol on the front of the crotch, I half groaned and half laughed. If I'd ever had any hope of Stephanie's nickname for me fading away, this threw that into the garbage. She would get a huge kick out of remembering this every time she said it from now on.

Of course, the amusement it would bring her made it totally worth it, I decided.

Manning up and forgoing the proferred robe, I stepped back through the curtain. The entire room came to a standstill as around thirty sets of eyes moved from my head to my feet and back up, landing squarely on the bat symbol across my dick and balls, which all felt like they were trying to crawl back into my body from the unwanted attention.

I mentally rolled my eyes. Same old shit and the reason I hadn't wanted to do this in the first place. Sure, when I was younger, I got off on the attention—what red-blooded male wouldn't?—but I'd matured past the point of needing the attention and admiration. And now that I was with Stephanie, no one else's opinion on how I looked mattered. The only person I cared to know what they thought was the woman coming out of the dressing room across from mine.

Stephanie gave a low whistle, trying in vain to raise a single eyebrow, but only managing to look surprised when she raised both. "Wow!" Her throat moved as she visibly gulped. "C-Carlos, you look...so freakin' hot!"

I laughed as she shook her head once, sneaking one more look before turning her face up to mine.

"Whatcha got under there, Babe?" I asked when she seemed at least somewhat in control.

She clutched her lapels tighter, keeping her robe closed, and gave me a coy look. "You'll find out soon enough."

Smirking, I slid an arm around her waist, and together, we walked over to where Eve was waiting beside two chairs in front of the mirrors.

Once we were seated, the goth-looking young woman turned first to me. "You're easier, so I'll do you first," she said, turning me to face the mirror.

I waited stoically while she brushed out my shoulder-length hair, sprayed some citrus-smelling shit on it, and combed it straight. Luckily, it only took a couple of minutes and then I could go back to watching Stephanie.

She seemed right at home as she was fluffed and curled, combed and mussed. Hers took quite a bit longer—nearly twenty minutes—but the effect when she was done was gorgeous. Drawing on years of control, I kept my dick from hardening as I realized she had that freshly fucked look like she'd had after our one night together.

"Okay, now, makeup," Eve said, waving over a thin, blonde woman. "Carmindy will fix you guys up, and then you'll be ready for Jason."

At the sight of the woman walked toward us with what looked to be a large fishing tackle box, I balked. "The hell I'm wearing makeup!"

Unfazed by my outburst, she broke into a wide smile. "Don't worry, Mr. Manoso. While Ms. Plum—"

"Call me Stephanie, or Steph," my Babe interrupted.

Carmindy nodded and smiled over at her before turning her attention back to me. "While Stephanie will get made up for the camera, I was told your face will be mostly hidden—per instructions set up ahead of time—so you'll only need some powder to prevent shine. Your skin is gorgeous and the skin tone will look terrific on camera."

Pacified, I sat back and watched as she got to work on Stephanie. Personally, I didn't think she needed anything. Steph was gorgeous without any of the stuff she normally wore on her face. She'd told me once that she felt naked without all the "war paint"—to which I'd promptly replied that she could be naked with me anytime, earning me a glare and a giggle—but I truly believed she was perfect without it.

When the woman finally stepped away, Stephanie was stunning. The makeup was natural-looking, giving her a bit more pink to her cheeks, making her gorgeous mouth look even more fuckable, and whatever the woman had done to her eyes made the blue look deeper, like you could drown in them.

"Fucking stunning, Babe," I murmured, unable to keep myself using the expletive to express just how beautiful she truly looked.

"Thank you," she replied, giving me a smile.

I leaned over, ready to kiss the ever-loving shit out of her, when a hand on my shoulder pulled me back enough to stop my forward progress.

"No way," the cockblocker—Carmindy—said firmly. "You'll mess up her makeup."

Stephanie laughed when I grunted and sat back in my seat dejectedly. "C'mon, Batman. Let's do this."

I allowed her to tug me out of my seat and lead me across the room to where the photographer was adjusting lights and props. The background had been changed from white to black, and in the center of the staged area was a bed, draped in white bedding.

"Ahh, perfect," Deeks said when he caught sight of us. Giving the light he'd been working on one last slight nudge to the right, he turned his full attention to us. "We're going to take a handful of shots since I'm not sure which will look best. Stephanie, you can give your robe to Eve, and then we'll take..."

I was sure the man continued speaking, but my brain shut off when Steph opened her robe, sliding it off her shoulders to hand to the woman hovering near us.

The light gray T-shirt with black sleeves and collar barely reached past her breasts, the large black and yellow bat symbol stretched across the front. Her flat stomach was on display under the ridiculously short shirt. The tiny black underwear with yellow band at the top and the smaller bat symbol near her hip cupped her perfectly rounded ass and hugged the juncture of her thighs in front, just barely hiding her mouthwatering pussy from my gaze.

I wanted nothing more in that moment than to rip the fuckers right off her and bury myself inside her, other people in the room be damned.

~oooOOOooo~

**Stephanie's POV**

The look on Ranger's face when he saw me in the ridiculously skimpy outfit made any hint of inadequacy I felt fly out the window. He wasn't looking at any of the sexy models walking around in nothing but lace and silk... He was looking at me.

That powerful feeling stayed with me the entire time we posed for pictures. There were shots of us standing together, Ranger holding me in his arms. His face was mostly obscured every time, whether buried in my hair or in my neck. The photographer—Deeks—tried to convince him to look at the camera for at least a couple of them, but Ranger refused, said he couldn't put his face out there like that. When the man protested, Ranger took him aside, and I swear I heard the phrases "national security" and "if I told you, I'd have to kill you." Deeks must have believed him because he didn't bring it up again.

There were also a few more...interesting poses. In one, we were lying on the bed. Ranger was propped up by the headboard and pillows and had his knees bent. I was then instructed to straddle him with my legs out straight toward the head of the bed, resting my back against his thighs. That position put our Batman underwear almost on top of one another. That meant I could feel Ranger's erection under my ass, and from what I could tell, by the time Deeks called that it was the last picture, it was damn good timing. Any more and Ranger would be showing one hell of a package in the photos. His briefs wouldn't provide nearly the coverage needed if he hadn't been able to control his body as well as he was.

"We done?" Ranger finally asked. From his voice, I could tell it didn't really matter what Deeks said. He'd had enough.

When Deeks answered in the affirmative, Ranger swung us around and stood, keeping me in his arms. My legs slowly slid down until my feet were on the floor.

"Get dressed, Babe," he said gruffly. "And keep those on." He motioned to the Batman panties I was wearing.

"But they—"

"Will be paid well for the damn things, I promise." Turning me to face the dressing area where we'd changed before, he gave me a gentle nudge. "Go, Stephanie...unless you want me to do what I want to do in front of all these people." His voice was low, husky, and sent shivers down my spine to my core.

Not bothering to second guess him, I walked quickly to my side of the curtained off "changing room," leaving him to take care of it. I wasn't sure, but I had a feeling that this had been the last straw in his control...

If I was right, our days of taking it slow were over. The trick would be to see if we could last until we got home to do anything about it.


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer still applies. Warning for lemony goodness._

~oooOOOooo~

**Chapter 4  
Stephanie's POV**

I didn't ask any questions as Ranger took my hand and pulled me out of the building, making sure I was in the passenger seat before shutting the door and walking around to the driver's side. I knew why he was so anxious to get home, and that thought had me squirming in my seat as he drove out of the parking lot.

We were both quiet as he pulled onto the interstate. I'd thought having some time and distance between us and the pictures would help calm me down, but the closer we got to home, the more anxious I became. I was squeezing my thighs together, hoping to put pressure just where I wanted it most. I was throbbing—the thoughts about being with Ranger like I wanted were keeping me aroused. I even tried rocking my hips, but it just wasn't hitting the right spot.

Ranger must have noticed my wiggling, because without saying a word, he put his hand on my jean-clad thigh and slowly began moving it up. His long, tapered fingers slid along the seam, and when he reached my center, he pressed gently.

I cried out, the sound desperate and needy as he cupped me intimately as best he could from his position on the other side of the car.

"Ride my hand, Babe," he told me, his voice so close to a growl, it made my nipples peak. "Let me take care of you, Stephanie."

When the heel of his hand pressed at just the right spot, I tightened my thighs around him, trapping him there. With a few more gentle thrusts of his hand against me, I fell apart, gasping out his name and clutching onto his arm.

"That's it, Babe. Feel how good that is? Just wait until I get you under me..."

Panting, I relaxed, and Ranger slid his hand back to my thigh. We were quiet again as his hand drifted slowly back up. When he brushed against me once more, I stilled his movements. I didn't want to go again without him.

"Drive faster," I begged him, clutching his hand and watching the scenery fly by to calm myself down. At this rate, I was going to have him pull over before we'd made it back to Trenton, and I refused to let our first time in years—and the first time since we'd become a couple—happen in the car.

~oOo~

When we got back to RangeMan, Ranger parked the Cayenne in his spot and then came around and opened my door. I grabbed the Batman shirt and took his hand, allowing him to help me from my seat and lead me to the elevator.

As soon as he clicked the fob that would send us to seven, I found myself pinned to the wall of the elevator, Ranger's strong body pressed against mine. I could feel every muscle as he slid his thigh between my legs, pressing up against the seam of my jeans. His hands were braced on either side of my head, and when he leaned down to skim his nose up the side of my neck, I sucked in a breath, the intensity of the moment suddenly overwhelming.

"Babe, when we get inside, you have thirty seconds to get to the bedroom and strip out of those clothes. Whatever you have on when that time is up is going to be ripped off your body, and wherever you are is where I'm going to take you." His voice was a rumbling purr in my ear, causing goosebumps all over my skin.

"O-Okay," I stuttered, reaching up to grasp the front of his shirt. I needed to touch him; I felt I'd go crazy if I didn't. "Y-You, too."

He gave me a slow, wicked grin, his already dark eyes growing even darker. "That won't be a problem, Stephanie. You'll be lucky if I make it to ten."

When the elevator reached seven, he guided me to the apartment door with a hand on my lower back, keeping his body as close to mine as he could get. I could feel his erection poking me from behind, even through his cargoes and my jeans. I arched my back, driving my hips back to rub against him and causing him to fumble the key fob that would allow us into the apartment.

"Babe," he growled softly, making me giggle. "Be glad there are cameras out here or we wouldn't even make it inside."

The sound that came out of me when I realized I'd forgotten about the always-watching eyes of the guys in the control room was enough to lighten the tension enough that Ranger could get the door open and we could move inside.

Once the door closed, I quickened my steps, already tugging off my shirt. By the time I hit the bedroom door, my shirt had been discarded on the floor and my jeans were unsnapped, unzipped, and halfway down my hips. The moment they slid down my legs to the floor, Ranger's arms were around me, pulling me back against him.

His voice was low as he spoke into my ear. "You know, Babe, after the photo shoot today, my body will always respond when you call me Batman..." Then his hand moved to my chest, fingers splayed as he slowly slid it down my body, between my breasts, and over my stomach, until he was cupping me possessively between my thighs. "And I'm seriously reconsidering changing yours from Wonder Woman to Batgirl." He gave a tap with the heel of his hand on the little bat symbol on my panties.

I whimpered, thrusting my hips into his palm.

His other hand moved to my hip and then he slowly knelt, sliding the panties over the curve of my ass, past my thighs, and to my knees, where he dropped them to pool at my feet. Then he stood, his hands ghosting over my skin and settling on my hips.

"Bed," he ordered, removing his hands and pointing to his king-sized bed a few steps in front of us.

By the time I was sprawled out on the bed, resting back on my elbows to watch him, Ranger had unsnapped his cargoes and dropped them to his feet. He stepped out of them, his very hard length shifting with every step. Reaching back over his shoulder, he grabbed the back of his T-shirt and pulled it off over his head—that move that every guy seemed to be able to make that just screamed sexy.

Like a panther, all sleek black hair, powerful muscles, and controlled movements, he climbed onto the mattress and lowered himself to his belly. His hands on my knees, he spread me wide, baring me to his dark, intense gaze.

I kept my eyes on Ranger as he pressed a kiss to my left thigh, trailing his lips and tongue over my skin to the juncture of my leg and thigh. I held my breath, waiting until he moved just inches to where I wanted him most. Instead, he skipped right over it, kissing his way from my right knee back up.

When he settled over my center, he looked up at me from under his long, dark eyelashes and lowered his head. His mouth made contact with my lower lips and his tongue came out, licking me from one end to the other. The sound he made coupled with the vibration from the purr had me falling back to the mattress, fisting the comforter underneath me to keep from vaulting off the bed.

By the time Ranger wrapped his lips around my clit and slid two fingers deep inside me, I was gasping for breath and crying out over and over again. He curled his fingers, stroking me as he sucked hard on my clit, and sent me flying over the edge.

"Oh God!" I cried, bucking my hips to his face.

Before I could even stop shaking and catch my breath, Ranger was up and over me, sliding easily into my still-clenching core.

"Fuck," Ranger hissed, pulling all the way out only to slide back in to the hilt. "You're so tight, Babe. You feel so good." He lowered himself to his forearms, using only his hips to move in and out of me.

I wrapped my legs around his thighs, limiting his range of motion. We rocked together slowly, letting our bodies reacquaint themselves with one another. Leaning down, he kissed me, our tongues tangling and echoing the languid, sensuous movements of our bodies below.

"More," I finally begged with a gasp as we pulled apart to breathe. "Please, C-Carlos!"

My legs fell back to the bed as he pushed himself up to his hands. "You want more, Stephanie?" he asked, his voice guttural and so sexy, it made my inside clench.

With my answering nod, he began pistoning his hips, setting a fast and hard rhythm—one that I knew would send us both over the edge sooner rather than later.

When he reached between us to flick my clit, I was done for. My back arched and I threw my head back, crying out as white light exploded behind my eyelids. I was still clenching around him as his thrusts faltered and he came, my name falling from his lips like a curse or a prayer.

Breathing heavily, he collapsed beside me, pulling me into his arms as we both came down from the high of our orgasms.

"_Dios,_ Babe," he groaned, his fingers stroking the skin of my back, which was damp from sweat. "That was better than I remembered—and my memories were nothing short of spectacular."

I laughed, resting my hand on his stomach, which was slick with his own sweat and rippling with each labored breath. "Uh-huh," I answered, the two mumbled syllables all I could conceivably voice at the moment.

A few minutes later, Ranger laughed. "Remind me to thank Santos. That was the best bet I've ever lost."

Chuckling, I nodded, closing my eyes in a long blink. I hadn't gotten enough sleep the night before and today had been tense, so a nap was looking pretty darn good right about then.

Just as I was drifting off to sleep, Ranger reached over and grabbed a throw from somewhere else on the bed, drawing it up over us. Pressing a kiss to my brow, he murmured, "Sleep, Babe. I love you."

"Love you," I managed to echo back before darkness overtook me.


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer still applies._

~oooOOOooo~

**Chapter 5  
One Year Later  
Stephanie's POV**

Biting my bottom lip, I knocked softly on Carlos's office door and then opened it and poked my head in. He was on the phone but waved me in with a smile.

"Yes, of course," he said, his voice that controlled smoothness he used on business calls. "Someone will be out first thing tomorrow to get that extra camera installed, Mr. Jenkins." Crooking his finger at me, he pulled me onto his lap as he listened, wrapping his free arm around my waist. "You're very welcome. And you have a good evening as well."

He hung up the phone, making me grin. It wasn't exactly a goodbye, which I'd been working with all the guys on, but it was better than nothing.

"What's that smile for?" Carlos asked, wrapping his other arm around and turning me slightly.

I shook my head, waving my hand like it was nothing. We had more important matters to discuss. "We have a problem," I said instead, frowning.

Carlos raised an eyebrow. "Elaborate, please," he said shortly.

Something else I'd been working with the guys—and specifically Carlos—on was communication. It was still a short, to-the-point response, but at least it wasn't just "Babe."

"Jason Deeks just called me," I said with a sigh. "An emergency has come up and he has to be away starting this Monday, so he won't be able to fly in to take our engagement pictures the next weekend like we'd scheduled."

Carlos didn't look exactly pleased, but he didn't look upset, either. "We'll get someone else to take them, Babe. He's not the only photographer around."

"I know, but I thought it would be...special, I guess. I mean, that was kind of a turning point in our relationship, so I thought it would be symbolic." Sighing, I said, "He did offer to fly up in a few days, this Saturday, instead, but since you're doing the self-defense course, I said that wouldn't work. I guess I'll call the other people on the list of recommendations I wrote down a few months ago and see..."

I had never seen the almost gleeful expression on Carlos's face before that he was suddenly wearing, and it shut me up. I tried raising an eyebrow, huffing in frustration when I could still only raise both instead of just one. "What is that—"

"I'll take care of it," he said, interrupting me. "Call him back and tell him we can do this weekend, Babe."

"But—"

He leaned in and kissed me, my protest dying off to a moan. When he finally pulled away so we could breathe, he said, "Stephanie, I promise. Call him back. Trust me, Babe."

I nodded, looking up when there was a knock on the door.

"That'll be Tank. We have a meeting to go over schedule changes." He rolled his eyes, making me snort to myself that I was definitely rubbing off on him. "Come in, Tank."

Tank opened the door, covering his eyes. "Are you decent?"

Geez, you'd have thought he'd interrupted us every time he came into the office. It had just been that one time...

"Laugh it up, big guy," I responded snarkily. "Did you tell Lula you got a peek at..." I pointed to my chest.

Holding his hands up in surrender, Tank shook his head. "Heck no. That woman would skin me alive if she knew. Accident or no accident."

"Uh-huh," I agreed, enjoying his look of fear. Turning back to Carlos, I said, "I'll call Deeks."

Leaning in, I kissed him once more before sliding off his lap and straightening my clothes, glaring at Tank and daring him to say a word.

"Not a word, I swear," he promised, grinning.

Giving them both a finger wave over my shoulder, I headed back to my office down the hall, where I'd been working as head of the Fugitive Apprehension Division of RangeMan for over six months. Time to call the cute photographer and see if his offer of this coming weekend was still good.

~oOo~

**Later that night**

"Thanks for letting me hang out with you guys," I said, grabbing another pretzel from the bowl in front of me. I'd insisted that I couldn't "play" poker with the guys without snacks. When the guys voiced their complaints that if I got snacks, they wanted them too, Carlos had put his foot down that they had to be healthy. So while I had wanted nachos and pizza rolls, I'd ended up with popcorn—although Ella had added parmesan cheese and butter to mine. Yum!—and pretzels. It wasn't the same, but it was pretty good.

"No problem, Beautiful," Les said, grabbing a fistful of popcorn and tossing a piece into his mouth as Tank dealt the cards. "Although why you wanted to be on the boss's team instead of mine, I still don't understand." He winked at me when Carlos growled softly that Les should meet him on the mats the next morning.

Looking at his pile of chips and then Carlos's, I shook my head. "I dunno, Les... He seems to have you now. Don't you think so, Tank?"

I looked over at the big man across from me, who raised an eyebrow and shook his head.

"Oh no," he said firmly. "Leave me out of this."

Bobby, Hal, and Manny were all still playing—the other two apparent regulars for the game, Binkie and Zero, were working monitors, so neither of them could play—and they looked like they were holding back laughter.

"Wanna make it interesting?" Carlos asked, looking over at Les.

Immediately, all the guys but Lester tossed their cards down, indicating that they were out of whatever transpired between Carlos and Lester.

Watching Carlos carefully, Les smirked. "Sure... Same terms as last time?"

"Nothing to get you arrested and nothing to do with Stephanie," Carlos said, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.

Les grinned and nodded. "Let's do this."

~oooOOOooo~

**Lester's POV**

"No fucking way!" I growled, slamming my hand down on top of the table. "There's no way you've got a royal flush."

I looked down at my four eights and back up at Ranger, who looked smug.

"Show me," I demanded, gesturing to his cards.

If he turned over what I knew deep down he was going to, I would lose.

One by one, he turned over a string of hearts, starting with the nine and going all the way up to the ace.

A fucking royal flush.

_I had lost._


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer still stands._

~oooOOOooo~

**Chapter 6  
Saturday  
Trenton Community Center  
Lester's POV**

I pulled up twenty minutes before the self-defense class was supposed to start, shut off the engine to my truck, and climbed out. Heading inside, I stopped by the check-in desk and smiled at the young woman behind the counter.

"Hi," I said, turning on all my charm and getting a bored look in return. "I'm Lester Santos. I'm in charge of the self-defense class starting in a few minutes. Can you tell me where I need to go?"

Still looking bored, the twenty-something goth-looking woman pointed down the hall, popping a bubble before saying, "Turn left at the end of the hall. It's in Room D." She handed me a key. "Lock up and bring it back when you're done."

"Thanks." I tried smiling again, but she'd already gone back to whatever book she'd been reading, so I just shrugged and headed off down the hall.

"Oh, wait a minute," she called suddenly.

I turned back, assuming the Santos Swagger had won another one over. "Yeah, sugar?"

Rolling her eyes, she simply held up a manila envelope. "I forgot that some really sexy girl dropped this off for you earlier. Said it's the instructions for your class."

_Really sexy girl? _Suddenly, the image of the black-haired girl and Steph together popped into my head. _Fucking hell..._

"Uh, thanks," I told her, still thinking of things I knew Ranger would kill me for.

By the time I'd found the right room, the tent in my pants was back down to normal. I opened the door and turned on the lights, setting my bag down to one side of the large room. There were some chairs scattered around the edge of the room and some mats piled in one corner. Deciding to tackle those first, I grabbed one and tossed it across the room, continuing until I had enough to cover most of the open space. Ranger had said to expect about twenty people, so that should be plenty.

Once the mats were all in place, I opened the envelope and pulled out a few pages of typed instructions. Why the hell he'd thought I would need instructions, I had no idea. I could teach self-defense with my eyes closed.

I'd just started reading when I heard the scariest sound in the world.

"Well...as I live and breathe. You aren't The Package, but you'll do."

Closing my eyes briefly, I hoped that when I looked up, I wouldn't see what I was scared I was going to see. Unfortunately, I was right. The nickname she had for Ranger had given it away.

"Mrs. Mazur, how nice to see you," I lied, smiling pleasantly. "What are you doing here?"

Maybe there was a seniors class of some sort here at the community center that Steph's grandmother was attending. That had to be it.

"This is Room D, isn't it? Stephanie said to expect Lester...and I may be old, but my memory's still good. Aren't you Lester Santos?" As she spoke, she walked toward me, smiling lasciviously.

I took a step backward, nodding. "Yes, ma'am. Are, uh... Are you here for the self-defense course?"

"None of that ma'am nonsense, cutie. Call me Edna." She clacked her dentures at me, smiling widely. "And yes, I most certainly am." Growing uncharacteristically serious, she frowned. "You know about the attacks on senior citizens around town, right? That's why you're here, after all. A bunch of us decided we needed to learn some moves in case they came after us, too."

Shit, that was right... There'd been four attacks in the last month on older women in Trenton. The police had been unable to catch the man doing it. Luckily, he was simply beating them and stealing their purses or bags and not sexually assaulting them, but with no leads, everyone in town was worried.

Sighing inwardly, I nodded solemnly. "That's right. I've heard about the attacks. It's good that you all are doing this. I'll do everything I can to help teach you what you should know."

"Good." She smiled again. "I knew my baby granddaughter wouldn't let me down."

~oOo~

An hour and a half later, I'd been groped and had my ass pinched more times than I cared to remember by the crazy group of seniors standing in front of me. I'd even had to avoid a few grabs at my junk by not only Edna Mazur, but three of her friends, as well. I'd taught them how to punch out at an attacker's nose or clap them hard over the ears, how to use their cane or walker—if they had one—as a weapon, but most of the time had been spent going over how best to avoid getting into that position in the first place.

"All right, ladies," I called, smiling at the women who were seated on the chairs around the room. "Remember, don't go anywhere alone, park and walk in well-lit areas, and if you have to carry a bag or purse, carry it over your shoulder, not around your neck. I have papers here with everything we went over, including reminders of the moves you learned, so before you leave, be sure to get a copy for yourself. If you want to take some for others that couldn't be here today, feel free. I have plenty."

Keeping my back to the wall, I handed out papers as the little old ladies filed past.

"Thank you, Mr. Santos," one blue-haired grandmotherly woman said as she took the paper from me. "My friend Stella was one of the women who were attacked. It scared me to pieces. I feel better now, knowing I have some options."

I was just about to reply and tell her she was most certainly welcome...when she reached around and grabbed my ass, winking.

I gaped at her as she shuffled away, meeting up with a few of the other women at the door.

By the time everyone but Edna Mazur had left, I was exhausted.

"Are you heading home, Mrs. Mazur?" I couldn't bring myself to call her Edna. My mother had drilled it into my head my entire childhood that elders were always mister or missus.

"I called Frank, and he's going to pick me up," she replied. "Would you wait with me?" Giving me a grin, she said, "I would feel so much safer."

I wasn't sure if she was teasing me or not, but I certainly didn't want to ask. Just in case she was at all serious, I smiled and said, "Of course. Let me put up the mats, and then we'll head up front to wait for your son-in-law."

Five minutes later, she looped her arm through mine and we walked slowly up to the front of the community center. When we got up to the door, we could see Frank's car outside.

"Looks like he's here," I said, smiling down at the mischievous-looking old woman beside me. "Come on. I'll walk you to the car."

I handed the girl behind the counter the key and then led Mrs. Mazur to the waiting vehicle.

"Here you go, ma'am," I said politely, opening the passenger door for her.

I nodded at Stephanie's father, who raised an eyebrow and looked at his mother-in-law.

Shrugging, I smiled and then turned my attention back to the woman in question.

Just when I thought I was free and clear, she brushed past me to get into the car and her hand landed right on the front of my sweatpants.

Much to my embarrassment, she grinned, clacking her dentures again. "Nice package for not being _The_ Package."

Without saying a word, I simply smiled a strained smile and closed the door before moving to my truck and climbing in.

Letting out a big breath, I realized I was already trying to come up with ways to pay Ranger back. Whatever it was, I knew it would have to be big.

_No more Mr. Nice Santos,_ I thought, pulling my truck out onto the street and turning toward Haywood.

**The End**


End file.
